Better Days for Bobby

My name is Eli Lee, and thank you for taking the time to read about my friend. Five months ago, I was blessed to encounter an older gentleman with one of the kindest hearts. His name is Bobby, and unfortunately, he has lived a life filled with many struggles. When I met Bobby, the first thing I noticed was his severe speech impediment. It took him anywhere from 5-10 seconds just to say a single word. I noticed he was embarrassed by this inability and tried his hardest to avoid talking to others. I wanted to better understand his struggles, so that I could do everything possible to help improve the quality of his life.

After talking to him for a short while, I proposed that we start hanging out on a weekly basis. He happily agreed, and so our friendship began. After getting to know Bobby, I learned that his struggles went far beyond his speech impediment. He told me that his stutter was a product of an abusive childhood, and since he was a young boy, he has struggled to communicate with others. In addition, he is diabetic, suffers from sleep apnea, has severe asthma, and has lost most of his teeth. He has been mistreated, and has suffered injuries that have kept him from working. 

A few weeks back, I took Bobby to see a speech therapist, where he tried on a “Speech Easy” device. The therapist stated that Bobby had among the worst speech impediments she had observed throughout her 30+ year career. Her patients are evaluated on a scale from 1 to 7, with 7 being a very severe speech impediment. Bobby, she told me, easily falls under a 7. Because she hadn’t worked with many individuals who developed speech impediments from brain damage/early childhood trauma, she wasn’t sure if the Speech Easy device would work for Bobby. Praying, we tried it out to see if it would help him at all. As we worked through a few speech exercises, it was immediately evident that the device was very helpful. The therapist said that Bobby’s improvements were “miraculous” and that with the device, he sits at a 2 on the scale from 1 to 7.

Here's where you come in. Speech Easy is a $5500 device. I am determined that this device will reach Bobby by the time he turns 60 years old in February. I am asking you to contribute to Bobby’s wellbeing. I have never seen someone struggle life, and I want to do everything in my power to make his life better. If we surpass the goal of $5500, any remaining funds will go towards dentures and treating his sleep apnea.

In this season of giving, please consider a contribution. Any amount will help, but if you cannot afford a donation, I ask that you keep Bobby in your prayers. Thank you for taking time to learn about my friend.